Skip to Main Content

Funding Circle Small Business Loans: 2024 Review

Updated Feb 26, 2024

Bankrate logo

The Bankrate promise

At Bankrate we strive to help you make smarter financial decisions. While we adhere to strict , this post may contain references to products from our partners. Here's an explanation for .

At a glance

See offers Arrow Right

Apply on partner site

4.6
Rating: 4.6 stars out of 5
Bankrate Score
Caret Down
Accessibility
Rating: 4.7 stars out of 5
Affordability
Rating: 3.7 stars out of 5
Customer experience
Rating: 4.8 stars out of 5
Transparency
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
Flexibility
Rating: 4.6 stars out of 5
How Bankrate Scores work Arrow Down

Overview

Funding Circle offers business term loans, lines of credit and SBA 7(a) loans. Its streamlined application process and potentially low interest rates make it a good fit for established businesses with a solid credit history.

Lender Details

  • Moneybag

    Loan amount

    $25,000-$500,000

  • Rates

    Interest rate

    7.49%

  • Clock Wait

    Term lengths

    6 months-10 years

  • Dollar

    Min. annual revenue

    $50,000

  • Business

    Min. time in business

    24 months

Who Funding Circle is best for

Established small business owners with good or excellent credit may get the best value from Funding Circle’s streamlined application process, potentially low rates and minimal fees. Borrowers can also choose a term of up to seven years on business term loans, compared to the maximum repayment period of five years offered by many lenders. This is beneficial to small business owners who seek an extended loan term to help make monthly loan payments more affordable and easier to manage.

While not the fastest lender, most loans can be funded in as little as two days. There are also no prepayment penalties, processing fees or many of the other fees other lenders may charge.

Who Funding Circle may not be best for

Funding Circle’s eligibility requirements put its loans out of reach for startups and business owners with bad credit. It’s also not a good fit for business owners who want funding within 24 hours.

Funding Circle: in the details

Funding Circle pros and cons

Pros

  • Checkmark

    Lower rates than many online lenders

  • Checkmark

    Online preapproval

  • Checkmark

    Relatively quick funding times

  • Checkmark

    Minimal fees

Cons

  • No unsecured loans

  • Rates not disclosed online

Business loan types offered

Loan quick facts

  • Amounts: $25,000 to $500,000
  • Terms: 6 months to 7 years
  • Interest rates: From 7.49%

Funding Circle business term loan overview

The business term loan is designed for companies with a credit score of 660 or higher. This is higher than many online lenders who may offer loans to small business owners with a minimum credit score of 600 or lower. 

Funding Circle doesn’t disclose its rates on its website, but in a document shared with Bankrate, the lender stated its interest rates start at 7.49 percent. The low end of that range is fairly competitive and may rival even the low rates found with banks and traditional lenders.

There are no prepayment penalties, and borrowers won’t have to deal with excessive fees like application, maintenance or administration fees. However, you may have to provide collateral or a personal guarantee.

Loan quick facts

  • Amounts: Up to $250,000
  • Terms: Not stated
  • Interest rates: Not stated

Funding Circle business line of credit overview

Funding Circle offers secured and unsecured business lines of credit through partner lenders. It lets you repeatedly draw funds as you need it and only pay interest on the amount you borrow. 

Funding Circle doesn't state its line of credit interest rates or repayment terms on its website. This will make it harder for you to quickly compare with other lenders. There are draw fees that you pay when withdrawing money and late payment fees when you don’t make payments on time.

Responsibly managing the account by making timely payments could make you eligible for credit line increases over time.

Loan quick facts

  • Amounts: $50,000 to $500,000+
  • Terms: Up to 10 years
  • Interest rates: As low as 11.25% (Prime + 2.75%)

Funding Circle SBA 7(a) loan overview

Backed by the Small Business Administration (SBA), these loans can cover unexpected expenses, stabilize cash flow, refinance business debt, upgrade your company’s space or expand operations. 

SBA loans typically have extensive documentation requirements along with slower approval and funding times. But Funding Circle coordinates with a network of SBA lenders to help streamline the process. 

The eligibility guidelines vary from those for term loans and lines of credit. Your company must be operable for two years, free of federal tax liens and generating $150,000 or more in annual revenue. You’ll also need a FICO score of 630 or higher to qualify for an SBA 7(a) loan.

Do you qualify? 

Funding Circle states its average borrower has good or excellent credit, has been in business for 11 years with $1.4 million in annual sales and has 12 employees. And considering the minimum personal credit score is 660, it’s not a good fit for someone looking for bad credit business loans

That said, you may still be eligible for a loan even if you don’t have this sort of business profile. Here are the general guidelines to be aware of: 

  • FICO score of 660 (or 630 for SBA loans)
  • No personal bankruptcies within seven years 
  • Operate in an industry not related to gambling, speculative real estate, pornography, weapons manufacturing or speculative real estate
  • Not operate a marijuana dispensary or non-profit organization

What we like and what we don’t like

Funding Circle features business loans with competitive rates and generous terms to established companies.

What we like

  • Lower rates than many online lenders. Funding Circle business loans come with competitive rates. The maximum rate for term loans doesn’t soar as high as the rates you could find with other lenders. 
  • Streamlined application. Funding Circle has one quick online application to see which loans you qualify for. It conducts a soft credit pull when you apply, so your credit score won’t be impacted. 
  • Relatively quick funding times. Some business loans are funded in just two days, much quicker than loans from banks. 
  • Minimal fees. Funding Circle doesn’t charge many of the additional fees found with other loans.

What we don't like 

  • Strict eligibility requirements. Funding Circle has a minimum required credit score of 660, and its average borrower has typically been in business for 11 years and has annual sales of $1.4 million. 
  • No unsecured loans. Borrowers will need to tie assets to the loan, which will act as security. You’ll have to look elsewhere for unsecured loan options.
  • Interest rates not disclosed online. Funding Circle does not list rates on its website, so borrowers aren’t able to quickly compare with other lenders.

How Funding Circle compares to other lenders

Funding Circle doesn’t offer the fast funding timelines you’ll find with other online lenders, but you can access larger loan amounts at competitive rates. But if you have a lower credit score, Funding Circle likely isn’t the best fit for you. While some lenders accept borrowers with scores as low as 500, Funding Circle sets its minimum credit score at 660 (or 630 if you’re considering an SBA loan). 

You’ll also find that business term loans require a personal guarantee. If you’d prefer not to secure the loan with personal assets, prepare to look elsewhere, as this isn’t an option with a business term loan from Funding Circle.

Rating: 4.6 stars out of 5
4.6

Bankrate Score

  • Loan amount

    $25,000-$500,000

  • Interest rate

    7.49%

  • Term lengths

    6 months-10 years

  • Min. time in business

    24 months

  • Min. business annual revenue

    $50,000

Rating: 4.7 stars out of 5
4.7

Bankrate Score

  • Loan amount

    $5,000-$10 million

  • Interest rate

    0.75% Monthly rate | 5.00% to 18% Simple interest

  • Term lengths

    1-10 years

  • Min. time in business

    6 months

  • Min. business annual revenue

    $100,000

Rating: 4.2 stars out of 5
4.2

Bankrate Score

  • Loan amount

    $5,000-$10 million

  • Interest rate

    8.75%-18.25% APR

  • Term lengths

    Up to 25 years

  • Min. time in business

    Less than two years

  • Min. business annual revenue

    Not stated

Read our review

on Bankrate

Funding Circle vs. Fundible

Fundible is an online lending marketplace that makes commercial financing more accessible to small business owners. Unlike Funding Circle, its eligibility guidelines are relatively lax. According to a Fundible spokesperson, you need a FICO score of just 450, six months in business and $96,000 in annual revenue, depending on which loan you’re applying for. 

You can also choose from far more funding options compared to Funding Circle. Fundible offers business term loans, lines of credit, SBA loans, equipment financing, bridge loans and invoice factoring. If approved for financing, you could get funds in as soon as 24 hours, which is a bit faster than the two-day minimum with Funding Circle small business loans. 

Funding Circle vs. Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo is more ideal for established business owners with solid credit ratings who want a more traditional lender. Its commercial financial offerings are limited to business lines of credit and SBA loans. There are three lines of credit to choose from, and two of them come with an annual fee. The upside is unsecured options are available, and you can earn rewards. But the processing timeline can be as long as two weeks, compared to two days with Funding Circle. 

Both lenders feature SBA 7(a) loans on their lending arsenal. Wells Fargo also offers 504 loans, which are a long-term financing solution for business owners looking to expand operations through commercial construction, property and land acquisition or equipment purchases.

How to apply for a loan with Funding Circle 

Funding Circle makes it easy to view loan offers and receive financing. First, you’ll visit the website and submit an online application. It’s fast and doesn’t impact your credit score. 

If you meet the lender's loan eligibility requirements, an account manager will reach out to answer any questions you may have about the loan offer. You’ll also need to submit the required documentation to the account manager to proceed with the lending process.  

The final step involves the underwriter reviewing your application, the lender issuing the final approval, closing the loan and disbursing the funds to your business bank account. Most borrowers hear back within 24 hours regarding a lending decision, but the approval time for SBA 7(a) loan could be up to three weeks.

Before applying, make sure to have the following material on hand:

  • Business tax ID
  • Name of owners or shareholders with a stake of 20 percent or more
  • Six most recent months of bank statements 
  • 2 to 3 years of business tax returns
  • 1 year of personal tax returns for owners with 20% or more ownership
  • Current profit and loss statements and balance sheet if current year tax returns are unfiled (SBA 7(a) loans only)
  • Schedule of business debts (SBA 7(a) loans only)

Funding Circle frequently asked questions

How Bankrate rates Funding Circle

Overall Score 4.6
Accessibility 4.7 Loans are open to some people with fair credit, and funding times could be relatively quick.
Affordability 3.7 There’s a potential for high interest rates and origination fees.
Transparency 5.0 Funding Circle provides a wealth of details on its website, including fees it charges and a profile of its typical borrower.
Customer experience 4.8 Funding Circle offers a streamlined application process and a healthy amount of support options for clients.
Flexibility 4.6 This lender has multiple loan options and the chance to take out an additional loan after six consecutive on-time payments.

Methodology

Clock Wait
47
years in business
Credit Card Search
30+
lenders reviewed
Loan
22
loan features weighed
Rates
770+
data points collected

To select the top small business lenders, Bankrate considers more than 20 factors. These factors include loan amounts, approval and funding times, credit requirements, APR or factor rate ranges, fees, and easy-to-find rate and fee disclosures. Bankrate reviewed more than 30 lenders and gave each a rating, which consists of five categories:

  • Accessibility: Factors considered in this category include minimum loan amounts, approval and funding speed, minimum annual revenue and minimum credit score.
  • Affordability: This section measures interest or factor rates and fees.
  • Transparency: How easy it is to find important rates, fees and eligibility requirements are considered in this category.
  • Customer experience: Customer service hours, online applications and app availability are considered in this category.
  • Flexibility: This category considers factors like the number of loan products and ability to change payment due date.

Editorial disclosure: All reviews are prepared by Bankrate.com staff. Opinions expressed therein are solely those of the reviewer and have not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The information, including rates and fees, presented in the review is accurate as of the date of the review. Check the data at the top of this page and the lender’s website for the most current information.